What to watch for in the Arizona 2022 High School cross-country season

The 2022 Arizona high school cross-country season is getting underway with thousands of runners competing in tournaments leading to the Arizona Interscholastic Association's state championship tournament this fall.

Here are 3 questions ahead of this season:

Which teams will contend for boys championships?

In Division I, Desert Vista High School's boys team has finished first or second in the state championships each year since 2011, winning seven titles, including last year. The perennial cross-country powerhouse is again expected to be a top contender this season.

Among those looking to unseat the Thunder is Gilbert Highland, which finished second last year and has finished among the top three at state the past five seasons, winning in 2017. Brophy also figures to be a factor this year, a program that finished in the top three from 2015 to 2020, when it edged Desert Vista and Highland for the D-I state title.

Highland Coach Dave Montgomery noted there is plenty of top competition in D-I this fall.

“Obviously the top teams over the years are always setting the bar high like Mountain View, Red Mountain, Desert Vista, Brophy, etc.,” Montgomery said. “We underestimate no one ... It's how good you are on that particular day.”

In Division II, Flagstaff, located where Olympic-caliber marathon runners regularly train, again will be the team to beat. The Eagles have been among the state's top programs in any division in recent years, winning six D-II titles since 2015 and finishing second to Gilbert in 2020.

In Division III, Tucson Salpointe Catholic will be looking for a state championship three-peat, but look for it to be challenged by Page, which has been a dominant program over the past decade, winning state team titles from 2014-19 and finishing second at last year's state championships.

In Divsion IV, two Northern Arizona schools are expected to be among top contenders. Flagstaff Northland Prep was runner-up last year, finishing behind team champion Northwest Christian, which will be looking for a repeat. Northland Prep has finished in the top three each year since 2016, winning the D-IV title in 2017 and 2018.

Another team to watch: Hopi, a running powerhouse that won the D-IV title from 2010-2016 and finished second 2017-19. The program suffered a setback in 2020 because of the pandemic, which hit northern Arizona Native American communities hard and canceled its season. The program has since been working its way back.

Which teams will contend for girls championships?

In Division I, Highland returns three seniors from last year's championship team, which again makes the Hawks a strong contender as it looks to repeat. Highland broke through last year after finishing second to Desert Vista in 2019 and 2020, and third in 2018.

This fall, seniors Emma Baugh, Kayla Case and Lindsay Schlink will look to use their experience to help lead others on the team.  Baugh and Case were named to last year's Arizona Republic girls all-state cross-country team, while Schlink earned an honorable mention.

Desert Vista again figures to be a factor, but the team lost its top runner — and one of Arizona's top overall high school athletes — over the summer when Lauren Ping, the three-time girls' state individual champion in D-1, opted to transfer to Chandler Valley Christian for her senior year. In addition, Katie Sigerud, who finished fourth in the individual competition last year, graduated. Returning runners include Bailee Christofis, who was named an honorable mention on The Republic's all-Arizona team last year.

Other D-I teams to watch include Liberty (third last year), Perry and Xavier.

In Division II, Flagstaff continues to be the team to beat, having established a record of dominance by finishing in the top two at state over the past 11 seasons, winning the AIA championship in nine of those seasons. Last year, however, Queen Creek Casteel broke through to top the Eagles by winning the team title.

Flagstaff returns one of Arizona's premier high school runners in Mia Hall, who won the D-II individual title in 2021 for the second straight year.

Among other D-II contenders to watch is Casteel as it looks to repeat, and Tucson Catalina Foothills, which was a regular among the top three at state in recent years. In addition, Coconino High School, the defending Division III team champions, was moved up to D-II by the AIA and is expected to be a factor as well. The Panthers will be bringing back five of their top six runners from last season.

With Coconino moving on, Division III is guaranteed a new girls team champion, and Tucson Salpointe Catholic should be considered an immediate contender. The Lancers have finished in the top three at state each year since 2016, including second last year and winning it all in 2016, '18, and '20.

In Division IV, Chandler Valley Christian, with the addition of Lauren Ping, arguably the state's top runner the past three years,  gives the Trojans consideration as a contender this season. Her mother, Megan Ping, was a coach at Desert Vista and told The Republic this summer she plans on volunteer coaching at Valley Christian this fall.

Northwest  Christian, last year's D-IV team champ expects to figure into contention again this year, along with Glendale Prep (last year's runner-up), Hopi and St. Michael.

Who are runners to watch for?

On the boys side, juniors, Crewe Resendez and Lucas Witcher will look to compete each week and help lead Highland to yet another top finish. Cesar Diaz, senior from Mingus Union will look to defend his title at the D-III level. Jorge Trujillo-Lira, senior out of Rio Rico looks to challenge Diaz at the top after finishing second last season.

Among girls,  Ping will look to go for her fourth state championship title after transferring to Valley Christian.  And Mia Hall at Flagstaff, will be going for her third state championship after finishing first the last two seasons. Kylie Wild, senior out of Salpointe Catholic will also be looking to win her third state championship at the D-III level. And at D-I, seniors Emma Baugh, Kayla Case and Lindsay Schlink will look to lead Highland to a repeat title.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: What to expect for the Arizona high school 2022 cross country season